Apparatus for automatic feeding of metal to rolling mills



N. ERlCSSON Oct. 22, 1935.

APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATIC FEEDING OF METAL TO ROLLING MILLS Filed Jan. 8, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet l Oct. 22, 1935. N. ERICSSON APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATIC FEEDING OF METAL TO ROLLING MILLS Filed Jan. 8, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet. 2

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HTTORNIY Get. 22, 1935. v N. ERICSSON 1 APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATIC FEEDING OF METAL TQROLLING MILLS Filed Jan. 8, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 /N VENTOR: NILS [R1 as $0! lli.

Patented Oct. 22, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATIC FEEDING OF METAL TO ROLLING lVIILLS Nils Ericsson, Bofors, Sweden 10 Claims.

This invention relates to the automatic feeding of steel or other metals to the rolls of rolling mills.

It is known that it is possible to guide the fore 5 end of the metal to be rolled when leaving a pair of rolls by means of a repeater, formed as a curved channel, the fore end of the metal piece following the channel. Forced by the delivering rolls, the metal is automatically fed between another pair of rolls in the same or another set. Such an automatic feeding of the metal of oval, flat or other similar sections to be rolled has, however, been possible only when the dimensions are comparatively large. With small dimensions has not been able to perform the automatic feeding of themetal, because the weakness of the' section and the pushing force of the delivering rolls have caused the metal to be bent and thrown out of the repeater before the fore end of the metal has passed the inlet guides and reached the bite of the rolls.

The object of this invention is a device by means of which it is possible to effect the .automatic feeding of metal even of small sections, of oval, flat or similar form, as used for drawing in wire mills or other small mills. This feeding apparatus may, of course, also be used for rolling wire of square section or for rolling bars of any section.

The invention may be carried out in different Ways. The accompanying drawings show one form of a device according to the invention in which compressed air is used as driving medium. With reference to the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows a longitudinal section through the apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a plan view.

Fig. 3 is a cross section along the line III-III in Fig. 1.

Figs. 4 .and 5 show details.

In front of the rolls l and 2 is a table 3, which carries the housing 4 of the inlet guides, the housing being adjustable in directions parallel to 45 the centre lines of the rolls. The table 3 carries further the housing 5, which may be attached in front of the housing 4 by the aid of a wedge 6. The housing 5 carries the guides i and 8, which form a pair of channels for the guiding of the metal to be rolled. At the front end of the guide I is a lever 9, which is adapted to be raised by the metal moving underneath it. The lever 92, which may be made of a hard material or the underside of which may be covered with an extremely hard metal, for example Stellite or the of such sections, the repeater, when used alone,

like, lifts, when it is raised, the spindle ll) of the valve ll (Fig. 4) which is movably mounted in the valve housing l2.

The valve I l controls the compressed air inlet from the nozzle I3 to the nozzles l4 and I5 and '5 their connection with the atmosphere through the bore 35 in the valve housing I2. The nozzle i3 is connected with a piping for compressed air. The nozzle i4 is connected with the nozzle l6 by a flexible tube leading air to the front end of the 10 cylinder 51, wherein a reciprocating piston I8 is arranged. This piston has a piston rod l9, the rear end of which is supported by a bearing. The rear part of the piston rod is surrounded by a spiral spring 29 between the rear end of the piston, and the rear wall of the cylinder, which spring tends to push the piston forwards. The front end of the piston rod l9 projects through the front cylinder wall and is provided with teeth 2! out on the opposite and vertical sides of the piston rod. The cylinder H is attached to or made integral with an underlying cylinder 22, which is supported by the housing 5 and guided by the guides 23, which enable the cylinder 22 to move towards or away from the rolls I and 2. In the front end of the cylinder 22 a pair of revolving vertical shafts 24 are mounted, which project upwards to the level of the piston rod l9. To the upper ends of each of these shafts a toothed segment 25 is keyed, the teeth of which are cut to mesh with the teeth on the piston rod I9.

The lower ends of the shafts 24 are each provided with an eccentric 21, which is located on the same level as the opening 28 between the guides l and 8, making it possible for the eccentrics to enter into the opening, when their shafts 2d are revolved by the action of the piston l8 and the rod l9 through the gearing between rod and segments. The eccentrics 2i forma pair of tongs which thus engage the metal moving in the channel formed by the guides i and 8 immediately after it has reached and lifted the lever 9.

In the movable cylinder 22 a piston 29 is provided, the piston rod 35! of which is attached to the housing 5 in the rear wall 3|. The rear end of the cylinder 22 is made tight around the rod 3d by means of a packing box 32. The piston rod 36 is bored right through along its centre line and is connected or provided at its rear end with a nozzle 33 for the connection of a tube. The rear end of the cylinder 22 is also provided with another nozzle 34.

The nozzle [5 on the Valve housing I2 is con- 56 nected with the inlet 31 of another valve housing 38 (Fig. 5), the inlet being controlled by a regulated needle valve 36 or the like. The housing 38 has a central bore, which is provided with five circular channels 40, 4I, 42, 43 and 44. In the central bore a number of packing boxes are inserted, between which radial openings lead to the circular channels. In the cylindrical space, formed within the packing boxes, a movable valve piston 46 is provided, which in each end has a closed space 4? and 48. In the walls of each of these spaces two groups of radial holes 49 are bored, which holes, according to the position of the piston, co-operate with some of the circular channels. Of these channels the uppermost one, 40, communicates with the atmosphere through the bore 50, and the adjacent channel 4I communicates with a bore 5|, leading to the nozzle 52, which is connected with the nozzle 34 by means of a flexible tube. The middle channel 42 is connected through a bore 53 with a pipe 54 leading from the compressed air supply. The next lowest channel 43 is connected through the bore 55 with the nozzle 56, which is connected with the nozzle 33 by means of a flexible tube. The lowest channel 44 communicates with the atmosphere through the bore 57. The piston 46 is provided at its uppermost end with a spring 58, the force of which tends to hold the piston in its lowest position.

The rear part of the cylinder I! may be brought in connection with its front part through the bore 59 or with the atmosphere through the bore 60. In order to control this connection a revolving valve 6| is inserted, which is provided with a lever 62, shaped as a fork, adapted to be acted upon by a pin 63, when the cylinder 22 together with the cylinder 5? moves forward. As a result the valve will revolve from the position shown in Fig. 1 to that position wherein the front and the rear ends of the cylinder I! are connected with each other through the bore 59.

The above described apparatus operates as fol lows: The fore end of the metal to be rolled is led by the channels in the guides 1 and 8 towards and underneath the lever 9, lifting it and thus also the spindle I0 and the valve piston I I to the position which is shown in Fig. 4. The compressed air then flows through the nozzle I3 and through the nozzles I4 and I5. From the nozzle I 4 the compressed air is led through the nozzle I6, from which it flows into the cylinder I1 in front of the piston I8 which will be forced backwards together with the piston rod I9 against the force of the spring 20. The air behind the piston then flows outinto the atmosphere through the valve BI and the bore 66. On the backward movement of the rod I9 the shafts 24 are revolved by the gear action of the teeth on the rod and the segments 25, and the eccentrics 21 are thus swung into the openings 28 between the guides I and 8. The metal to be rolled is thus securely grasped and held by the eccentrics.

At the same time the compressed air flows from the nozzle I4- to the nozzle I6, air is flowing through the nozzle I5 to the inlet 31 of the housing 38. According to the adjustment of the needle valve 36 the flow of air will, however, be a trifle delayed, allowing the valve piston 46 to reach its uppermost position first after the grasping action of the eccentrics 21 is completed. As soon as the piston 46 has reached its upper position, as shown in Fig. 5, the compressed air in the pipe 54 will flow through the circular channel 42, the bores 49 and the space 48 in the piston 46, the circular channel 43 and the bore 55 to the nozzle 56, from whence the air is led through the nozzle 33 and the bore in the piston rod 30 into the front end of the cylinder 22. This cylinder is then started in its forward movement, carrying 5 with it the cylinder I1 and the eccentrics 21 acting as a pair of tongs are swung into the openings 28 a moment before, thus forcing the fore end of the metal through the guides in the housing 4 into the space between the rolls I and 2. 10 The air behind the piston 29 in the cylinder 22 is forced through the nozzles 34 and Hand then out into the atmosphere through the bores 5I and 5|], which are in connection with each other through the space 41 in the valve piston 46. 5

At the end of the forward movement of the cylinder 22 the pin 63 will cause the fork shaped lever 62 to swing and the valve 6| to revolve. The rear end of the cylinder I'I, behind the piston I8, will thus be connected with the front 20 end of the same cylinder through the bore-59. The compressed air coming through the nozzle 46 then flows into the rear end of the cylinder I? and the actions of the compressed air on each side of the piston I8 will be balanced, thus allow- 2 ing the force of the spring 20 to move the piston with its rod I9 forward, until it regains its position as shown in Fig. 1. This forward movement of the piston I8 and the rod I9 will cause the eccentrics 2'! to swing out and set free the 39 metal moving in the channels of the guides I and 8.

As soon as the rear end of the metal has passed the lever 9, the valve piston II will fall down on account of its own weight or by the added force 35 of a spring, which might be placed on top of it, and the flow of compressed air through the nozzle I3 will be interrupted. At the same moment the nozzles I4 and I5 will be connected with the atmosphere through the bore 35. The 40 excess of pressure in the cylinder I] and below the valve piston 46 will then be evened out, and the piston 46 will be brought back to its lower position by its own weight and the added force of the spring 58. The radial bores 49 in the 4 piston 46 will then be connected with the circular channels M, 42, 43 and 44 in the housing, and the supply of compressed air in the pipe 54 is connected to the nozzle 52, and the air is led into the cylinder 22 through the nozzle 34 behind the piston 29, forcing the cylinder backwards to the position shown in Fig. 1, at the same time revolving the Valve 6| to the position shown. The air in front of the piston 29 is now free to pass through the nozzles 33 and 56, through the space 48 in the piston 46 and through the bore 51 to the atmosphere. Thereupon the apparatus is again ready to receive a new bar or wire of metal to be rolled.

As the device for grasping the metal to be .59 rolled is formed as a pair of eccentrics, the advantage is gained that the metal is free to run faster than the cylinder 22 and its tongs in case the rolls I and 2 have grasped the metal before the forward movement of the cylinder has start- 5 ed or come to a finish. The eccentrics will tend to swing free from the metal and slide against it only during the moment needed for the finishing of the stroke, so that the eccentrics are mechanically forced toopen as described.

In the above described form of the invention, compressed air is used as power medium, but it may be emphasized that any kind'of power may be used. It is for example possible to use some other gas under pressure, steam or liquid under pressure. The lever 9 may also be replaced by a photocell, which by the radiation of the glowing metal will give an electrical impulse to a relay system, which will cause electrical energy to grasp and bring about the forward movement of the metal to be rolled. The lever 9 may also act directly upon an electrical switch device by means of which electric current is supplied to an electric motor, magnet, solenoid or the like for effecting the required operations.

Having now particularly described the nature of my invention and the manner of its operation, what I claim is:

1. A device for the automatic feed of metal to be rolled between the rolls in a rolling mill, comprising a grasping and forward moving device for the metal arranged in front of the rolls, means for positively operating said grasping and moving device, means for controlling the initiation and termination of the operation of said operating means, and means for actuating said controlling means through the actionof impulses which are released by the metal when it is moving towards the rolls.

2. A device for the automatic feed of metal to be rolled between the rolls in a rolling mill, comprising a guide for the metal arranged in front of the rolls, a grasping and forward moving device for the metal arranged in front of the rolls, means for positively operating said grasping and moving device, means for controlling the initiation and termination of the operation of said operating means, means for actuating said controlling means, and an impulse releasing member arranged in said guide in the path of the moving metal and adapted to transmit impulses from the moving metal to said actuating means.

3. A device for the automatic feed of metal to be rolled between the rolls in a rolling mill, comprising a grasping and forward moving device for the metal arranged in front of the rolls, pressure means for positively operating said grasping and moving device, means for controlling the supply of pressure to said operating means, and means for actuating said controlling means through the action of impulses which are released by the metal when it is moving towards the rolls.

4. A device for the automatic feed of metal to be rolled between the rolls in a rolling mill, comprising a guide for the metal arranged in front of the rolls, a grasping and forward moving device for the metal arranged in front of the rolls, means for positively operating said grasping and moving device by means of a pressure medium, a valve for controlling the supply of pressure medium to said operating means, and an impulse releasing member arranged in said guide in the path of the moving metal and adapted to transmit impulses from the moving metal to said valve.

5. A device for the automatic feed of metal to be rolled between the rolls in a rolling mill, comprising a grasping device for the metal to be rolled consisting of pivotally journalled eccentrics arranged in front of the rolls on opposite sides of the line of motion of the metal, means for rotating said eccentrics in and out of grasping contact with the moving metal, means for carrying said eccentrics along the line of motion of the metal, means for controlling said motions of said eccentrics, and means for actuating said controlling means through the action of impulses which are released by the metal when it is moving towards the rolls.

6. A device for the automatic feed of metal to be rolled between the rolls in a rolling mill, comprising a guide for the metal arranged in front of the rolls, a grasping device for the metal to be rolled consisting of pivotally journalled eccentrics arranged in front of the rolls on opposite sides of the line of motion of the metal, pres- 5 sure medium operated means for rotating said eccentrics in and out of grasping contact with the moving metal and for carrying said eccentrics along the line of motion of the metal, means for controlling the supply of pressure medium to said 10 means for operating the eccentrics, and an impulse releasing member arranged in said guide in the path of the moving metal and adapted to transmit impulses from the moving metal to said controlling means. 16 '7. A device for the automatic feed of metal to be rolled between the rolls in a rolling mill, comprising a guide for the metal arranged in front of the rolls, a grasping device for the metal consisting of two eccentrics arranged in front of 20 the rolls on opposite sides of the line of motion of the metal, rotatable shafts carrying said eccentrics, a cylinder, a piston therein, means for reciprocating said piston in said cylinder, a piston rod attached to said piston, gearing means connecting said piston rod and said shafts and adapted to transform the linear motion of said piston rod into rotary motion of said eccentrics so as to grasp respectively release the moving metal, a carriage supporting said cylinder and said shafts, means for moving said carriage together with said cylinder and said shafts back 7 and forth parallel with the feeding direction of the metal, means for controlling the reciprocating motion of said piston, means for controlling the reciprocating motion of said carriage, and means for actuating the controlling means for the piston and the controlling means for the carriage through the action of impulses which are released by the metal when it is moving in said guide towards the rolls.

8. A device as claimed in claim '7, and wherein a pressure medium is employed for operating said piston and said carriage, a valve member being arranged to control the supply of pressure medium to the operating means for said piston and said carriage, an impulse releasing member being arranged in said guide in the path of the moving metal and adapted to transmit impulses from the moving metal to said valve member.

9. A device as claimed in claim 7, and wherein a pressure medium is employed for operating said piston and said carriage, a valve member being arranged to control the supply of pressure medium to the operating means for said piston and said carriage, an impulse releasing member being arranged in said guide in the path of the moving metal and adapted to transmit impulses from the moving metal to said valve member, means being provided for retarding the flow of pressure medium to the carriage operating means in such a timed relation to the flow of pressure medium to said cylinder that the eccentrics will have completed their rotary grasping motion before the carriage is started towards the rolls.

10. A device as claimed in claim 7, and wherein a pressure medium is employed for operating said piston and said carriage, which latter contains a second cylinder, a stationary piston being provided in said second cylinder, means being provided for controlling the supply of pressure medium to either side of said stationary piston for the purpose of reciprocating said carriage.

NILS ERICSSON. 

